Jalen Green got the first one. Cade Cunningham got the first one that counted. A few months after Cunningham held off Green in the draft, the Pistons held off the Rockets in the first official showdown between No. 1 and No. 2. No. 3 and No. 4 are coming for Cunningham next.
Cunningham finished with a season-high 20 points, including two buckets in crunch time when the Rockets were making a run. Green finished with 23 on high-volume shooting. He came up empty in the fourth. Cunningham came up big to help the Pistons secure a 112-104 win Wednesday night in Houston.
"When it comes to that time, you want to be in attack mode and try to put the defense in tough spots," Cunningham said. "And we were able pull it out by doing that."
"He’s got that gene that he can perform under pressure," said Dwane Casey.
This one was circled in Detroit and Houston as soon as the schedule was released in August, just a few days after Green got the better of Cunningham in a summer league clash. It was the only chance for both teams to shine on national TV. ESPN sold the showdown hard, to the point that Jeff Van Gundy bemoaned two early fouls against Cunningham that sent him to the bench.
Cunningham, like the officials, wasn't concerned with No. 1 vs. No. 2.
"I didn’t come into the game thinking about it too much," he said. "Whenever the game was in the flow and we were going, my mind wasn’t stuck on that. It was Pistons versus the Rockets and I was just trying to find ways to give ourselves the advantage."
It feels like Green's been stuck on it since draft night. He felt stuck on it this summer when he warned the Pistons "I'm coming" and when he badmouthed Detroit thereafter. And he felt stuck on it Wednesday night when he talked smack to Cunningham after throwing down a dunk to tie the game in the third quarter. Green got T'd up, Cunningham hardly blinked and the Pistons would lead the rest of the way.
"I’ll talk, too, but it depends on what they’re saying," Cunningham said. "Nothing that I heard tonight held any real weight to me. It was just all for cameras, I feel like, so I wasn’t really tripping on anything. I was just trying to play the game."
From there, the Pistons took control. Green didn't score another point. When the Rockets pulled within four with under five minutes to go, Cunningham drilled a three. Green turned it over at the other end. When the Rockets pulled within two with two minutes to go, Cunningham drove the lane and got a tough one to go. Green missed a three. Can't faze Cade, who only showed his age in points.
"Some guys just have ‘it,'" Casey said. "A guy can command the ball and make plays in special situations. We ran some plays for him down the stretch, and you feel comfortable with him doing it. But he’s shown that in summer league and in college. It seemed like the bigger the moment, the better he played. That’s one reason we drafted him, and we’re happy we did."
Cunningham did commit what he called "a horrible turnover" with time winding down, a reminder that he isn't perfect. A reminder that he's a rookie shaking off some rust. But he's starting to find his legs after missing a month with an ankle injury. His shots are starting to fall. His skills are starting to shine. With each passing game, Cunningham looks more like the player picked first overall.
"Each game I’m feeling a little bit more pep in my step, a little bit more comfortable," he said. "That’s all I can ask for. I want to get better each day and be consistent. If I can just stay levelheaded, I feel like the season will be fine. It’s whenever you start getting your head mixed into the other things, outside of that, that you start getting in trouble."
For Cunningham, the gauntlet continues this weekend. The Pistons face No. 3 pick Evan Mobley and the Cavs on Friday, followed by No. 4 pick Scottie Barnes and the Raptors on Saturday. Both players are off to terrific starts. Both teams are playing better than expected. The same can't be said of Cunningham and the Pistons, not yet. But they won the battle Wednesday night in Houston, which only mattered to Cunningham because they won the game.
"Felt good, man," he said. "It’s a much better feeling getting a win."